why gloriously ruined?

I spent part of the weekend working on my new blog [yippee!!]  and trying to make everything easier to navigate/find.  I want my blog to be a great resource for you in your journey & right now things are just too hard to find.  So I hope in the next few weeks I'll get to share my full blog design with you.  but for now...I'll share with you my new header/logo and share a little bit with you WHY my blog is called Gloriously Ruined.  [big shout out to Danielle for the amazing new blog design]

the past 3.5 years have been quite the journey.  

a journey that has gloriously ruined our lives.

I like to call these my "pre africa" wynne pics.  

the plans & dreams we had for our family are beyond different than the plans God had for our  family.

I wanted to wait 5-7 years to have kids after marriage but 2.5 years in, God changed my heart overnight.

I wanted to have biological children.

I wanted all boys.

I was/am terrified of childbirth & am not really a "baby person".

god knew.

he knew all along that he was going to bless us with two beautiful ethiopians
he knew the road it would take to get us there.
he knew it would be bumpy, rocky, wonderful & surprising (thanks for putting it so beautifully Jenna)

[first time to africa together, in Uganda on Stephens 29th birthday, August 2011] 

he also knew that it would lead us to africa
and to our love affair with orphan care, clean water efforts and responsible shopping
he knew it would lead us to the adoption community,
to have a passion to support missionaries all over the world
to be a part of giving a child a great education & lots of love through child sponsorship

[my first day in Korah, Ethiopia.  this day forever changed my world.  and so did the boy in yellow]

he knew it would transform the way we look at the world
it would erase "color" from our eyes
it would open the door for others to see gods heart for the orphan

[THIS is us.  loving + serving kids in korah, August 2011]

he knew it would gloriously ruin our lives.

[the day we met the kids! June 2012]

our lives look dramatically different than before.
not that we are "better"
our eyes are just open more
now that we have SEEN, we can't pretend we don't know
we are responsible.

we want to live radical lives for jesus.
we want to continue to be wrecked & ruined
lying down our plans & dreams and ambitions to live the "american dream"
to follow His will for our life instead

to be used by Him and for Him
to make Him known & make Him famous
to love god & love others

We want to live HIS story.  

[C+A baby shower]

I was never "one of those" radical people that had "a heart for the nations"
but now I am.
god changed my heart and wrecked my world
and he can do the same for you
if you just ask.

[Easter 2012]

pray.
listen.
then pray some more.
then act.
just take the next step that He is calling you and your family to
be you, don't be someone else.  don't live vicariously through someone else.
don't believe the lie that "having a heart for the nations" or adoption is for "someone else"
it's for all of us.

reach out & claim it.
your life will never be the same-- it will be GLORIOUSLY ruined.

[Thanksgiving 2012]

stay tuned for the new blog.  I'll have a "be ruined" resource page where I"ll share with you all the amazing resources for adoption, missions, clean water, sponsorship, responsible shopping, praying for the unreached, conferences + books that helped us along the way.